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You are here: Home / Blog / Here’s How Austinites Are Using (Or Not Using) Uber and Lyft in the Pandemic
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Here’s How Austinites Are Using (Or Not Using) Uber and Lyft in the Pandemic

James Rambin November 6, 2020 Comment

It might be a while before we see these kinds of street scenes again in downtown Austin — at least without the masks. Image: Page

Last week, we asked our readers to weigh in on their experiences with rideshare services like Uber and Lyft during the pandemic, to see how things were going after nearly eight months of safety precautions for both riders and drivers. We’ve seen usage patterns drop during this period for downtown dwellers who used to take advantage of these services multiple times a week — now, those same folks are using rideshare services less than once a month, or not at all.

You can chalk that up to many people working from home, socializing virtually, and no longer going to restaurants and bars. It’s not exactly rocket science, but it’s still pretty interesting to hear from frequent users how things have changed around town, and we’ve included our favorite responses to each question below:

How often did you use rideshare services before the pandemic, and how often do you use them now?

“Before the pandemic, at least 6 times a week. Since the pandemic we have taken 2 rides in total, but will probably be more active with ridesharing now the weather is turning cooler.”

“Two or three times a month before, zero now. No idea how well cars are being maintained.”

“I used them once or twice a month before the pandemic, mostly for going to UT Football games or when I know I wanted to go to a bar after dinner with my wife and didn’t want to risk driving. Now I do not use them at all, except when I traveled to Colorado for a friend’s wedding. I chose to drive to and from the airport in Austin, but needed the Uber in Denver. I am not attending the UT Football games this year so I am not using them now.”
 

“I used them for things like going to the airport or going to hang out with friends at a location with little to no parking, but I haven’t used them since the pandemic began.”

“I would say my partner and I used to use rideshare at least twice a week between going out or getting to work in inclement weather. Since the pandemic began, I’ve only used Uber once.”

“Twice a week before, zero now.”

“On average 1-3 times per week before — now I believe I’ve taken 2 or 3 rideshares since the pandemic started back in March”
 
“Before, 8-9 times a month. Now, maybe 6 times in the last 6 months — I don’t have a car and depend on them. The lower usage is because I’m not going many places. I ONLY use Lyft.”
 
“1 x per week before — haven’t used in 8 months now.”
 
“Probably 50% less than before the pandemic.”
 
“Usually at least once a week and now not at all.”
 
“Once or twice a week before — now I’ve used Lyft once since April 2020.”
 

If you have used these services during the pandemic, was your experience positive or negative? Have you noticed anything different?

“Positive. Much cleaner and better customer service.”

“Very positive. Drivers are taking precautions.”
 
“It’s about the same, just with masks. A bit slower to get a ride maybe.”
 
“Positive. Took a little longer for the ride to arrive (fewer drivers) and, of course, the driver was masked.”
 
“Positive. Wearing a mask means less smelling the weird smells in the car. Less talking with driver (often my preference). Rides appear to get to my pick and drop off location quicker. Rides are cheaper.”
 
“The 2 drivers we have had were great … wearing masks, allowing us to lower the windows, courteous and professional. Cars were clean and we tipped heavily, hoping that these services will continue to remain available.”
 
“About the same. Noticed changes are masks, no uber “pool”, less number of available vehicles, and prices much higher.”
 
“Sometimes the driver doesn’t have a mask on.”
 
“It was positive. Hand sanitizer was in the car and the driver was wearing a mask.”
 

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Uber (@uber)

 

Since virus-related changes have impacted rideshare services for many months now, have you noticed a change to your rideshare experiences even over the course of the pandemic? For instance, safety precautions being taken more seriously at the beginning than they are now, etc.

“In March everyone was trying to figure things out, by early summer 100% of safety procedures were being implemented.”

“I think rideshares have become cleaner.”

“No difference — drivers and riders all wearing masks, hasn’t changed since the beginning.”

“Everyone seemed to be taking the precautions more seriously at the beginning. Drivers, and riders.”

“Drivers and vehicles are lower quality now.”

Shuttered bars on Sixth Street in downtown Austin. Photo by Andrei Matei.

If you have used these services, have you heard any feedback from the drivers about their experiences during this time?

“In June they were saying they weren’t getting much work.”

“They say that people don’t wear masks, but they don’t want to tell them to wear masks because they need the business.”

“Many say they are switching to food delivery services.”

“They have said that plenty of people are still using rideshare services.”

“Our drivers were very quiet, unlike what was typical pre-pandemic. They seemed happy to have a customer in their cars.”

“They mention having less business.”

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Filed Under: Blog Tagged With: 78701, city life, surveys

About James Rambin

James is an Austin native and fifth-generation Texan, but tries not to brag about it. Email him anything at james@towers.net.

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